Bam Adebayo is all of a sudden a 3-point marksman. Bam has quietly added a consistent 3-point shot to his offensive repertoire, and it's helped to completely transform the Miami Heat's offense.
It's not just the fact that Bam is willing to shoot the 3-point shot, which had been an issue in the past, that has changed things for the Heat. It's that he's also suddenly developed into one of the best shooting bigs in the NBA that has made all the difference.
Bam's big step from distance is forcing defenses to guard him on the perimeter, which significantly opens things up in the paint for the guards and wings (especially in the team's new pace and space offense). It's also given Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra the ability to play bigger lineups, more specifically with Kel'el Ware and Bam together.
Spo is going to get a ton of credit for completely revamping the team's offensive philosophies this past offseason, and understandably so. However, I'm not sure the Heat's offense would be as successful as it's been so far this season without the play of Bam.
He's helped unlock an entirely different level for Miami's offense.
Bam's 3-point shot is here to stay
Bam is averaging more than five (yes, you read that right) 3-point attempts per game, and is shooting them at a 37 percent clip. It's almost become second-nature for the Heat's offense, and it's thrived because of it.
This has been a multi-year process that Bam has been on, and it's all coming together this year.
Bam slowly began to integrate a 3-point shot into his game a couple of years ago. However, it wasn't until last year that he started taking them at a semi-consistent clip. This year, he's taking that to an entirely new level, almost doubling his attempts from last season.
He's fourth on the team in 3-point attempts per game and is slowly becoming one of the more reliable 3-point shooters on the team.
As the Heat evolves to find ways to surprise the league with its revolutionary offense, Bam continues to be one of the most important players on that end of the floor.
And beyond just drives or mid-range jumpers, the integration of a consistent 3-point shot has raised the ceiling for Bam on the offensive end of the floor even more.
As a player who rarely gets the full credit for how good (and valuable) he is for the Heat, Bam just added another element to his game that has the team greatly benefiting from. No one seems to be talking about it, but Bam deserves his flowers as he continues to add to his offensive game. This time, by adding a consistent 3-point shot.